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Generation Alpha, or anybody born after 2010, is getting increasingly compared to Gen Z as the oldest Alpha cohorts enter their tween years and start expressing their personalities on social media and elsewhere.
A New York Post article chronicled how some Gen Zers feel old because they can’t comprehend Gen Alpha’s humor on social media. A Business Insider article notes how millennial and Gen X parents are playfully calling their Gen Alpha kids “honey badgers” on social media because of “how brave and authority-defying the generation seems to be.”
A study from marketing agency Razorfish, based on interviews with Alphas (ages 8 to 10) and Gen Zers (ages 16 to 23), identified differences between the generations:
- Earlier tech adapters: Just 31% of Gen Z values having the latest tech devices and capabilities, compared to 63% of Alphas.
- Gaming as a creative outlet: Alphas were found to be twice as likely to see gaming as a form of self-expression than Gen Zers, who cite relaxation as their top reason for gaming.
- YouTube discovery over TV: Over half (51%) first learned about brands through YouTube videos.
“From unboxing videos to watching YouTubers play video games, Alphas seek and enjoy self-directed control over their content,” Dani Mariano, Razorfish’s president, told Insider Intelligence.
A study from Harvard Business Review (HBR) explored how being the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence and augmented reality will shape how Gen Alpha learns, works, socializes, and shops.
The study highlighted Walmart’s “The Hidden World of Waffles + Mochi,” a gaming experience teaching kids about healthy eating, and “Walmart Land,” the retailer’s Roblox destination.
Justin Breton, Walmart’s director of brand experiences and partnerships, told HBR, “The way that [Alphas] are going to socialize is going to transcend the physical and move into the virtual in ways that we are seeing today, but also at a grander scale in the future.”
Razorfish’s survey found that similar to Gen Z, Alphas are prioritizing disconnecting for mental health reasons. They also likewise value purpose, accountability, and authenticity, albeit to a greater extent than Gen Z. Razorfish’s advice to businesses included, “Don’t think of Alphas as younger Gen Zs. They’re already more Gen Z than Gen Z, at a younger age.”